Gay marriage continues to stir campaigns in Iowa

The battle to legalize gay marriage in Iowa may be over, but the war to keep it so is just beginning.  Two supporters of same-sex marriage have gone to state authorities and filed a complaint against a group that helped outlaw same-sex marriage in California.

The issue revolves around an open state House seat and whether New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage broke state campaign laws by spending more than $86,000 in TV ads to support the GOP candidate. The complaint against NOM, as it is known, was filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.

Though he’s not part of the complaint, the whole issue relates to the campaign of Stephen Burgmeier, who wants to put the issue of same-sex marriage up for a public vote. His plans fit in with a campaign NOM has launched, dubbed the Reclaim Iowa Project, to overturn a state Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage out in the heartland.

The group’s goal is to target legislative races and help get candidates elected who want to get the issue on the ballot – and make such marriages illegal. So how big of a deal was it that ...

... NOM spent that much money to run ads backing Burgmeier?

Well, considering that, according to the Des Moines Register, Burgmeier raised just over $63,000 – and his Democratic rival Curt Hanson pulled in nearly $43,000 – in the special election race, it’s kind of a major deal.

Last month, W. Charles Smithson, the director of the Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, wrote to NOM to “make sure everyone was on the same page” and that the group was familiar with Iowa election law. One point Smithson made was that NOM would need to register as a political action committee if donors are giving $750 or more for “express advocacy activities” – as well as disclose the identities of donors.

News of Smithson’s letter to NOM apparently raised suspicions about the group’s activities. Hence the complaint about possible campaign finance violations from One Iowa (the state’s largest civil rights group for gay and lesbians) and the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund.

“We haven’t done anything about the complaint yet,” Smithson said.

NOM didn’t call us back today to talk about the issue. And the voters? They were voting today – Sept. 1 – in a special election to fill the seat.

Get ready: 2010 isn’t that far off.

-- P.J. Huffstutter

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Comments

[John]

There you go and Burgmeier lost. So much for trying to a run a campaign on hatred!

[Alfred H.]

Even if the anti-gay, anti-equality bigots win in Iowa, that would put Iowa in the same boat as California in that there are two classes of gay couples: ones with a legal marriage and ones who are banned from getting one. That is bound to force the hand of the U.S. Supreme Court, both sooner and more likely to rule in favor of the gay marriage side.

That was the big uh-oh of the Prop 8 militants, they think they won but having created a two-class system for gays will probably end up shooting them in the foot later.

How can it possibly be the year 2009 and we in America are debating whether an entire group of tax-paying, law-abiding U.S. citizens is entitled to be treated equally under the law?

[Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace]

To the marriage foes and sexually phobic, please find something else to do with your time, because life's too short. Find love.
Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace, Washington, Connecticut, USA

[AlanW]

I am not from Iowa but have driven through and stayed there many times. I have always thought that Iowans are the kindest people in America. I think so even more now. These people, for the most part know better than to discriminate. They got it right, NOM, based in New Jersey of all places is trying to tell the people of Iowa how to vote and Iowans reject it. It is the same as the people in Utah giving money to ban prop 8. The people of California could certainly learn from those in Iowa. Good for you IOWA!!!!!

[mtr]

My family so so happy when we found out that gay marriage was going to be made legal in Iowa. We recently sold our family farm and home there that had been in our family for 85+ years, and before be left the house my sister and her wife were able to legally get married there. It was a wonderful final celebration in our family home. I hope it won't be too long before the rest of the country, and world, realizes it is time to stop vilifying people because of how they were born. If 2 consenting adults want to be married, who is it hurting?